Final Transmission
by Ms Selphy
Summary: A core has taken control of Aperture Science and transfered GLaDOS into her previous human body. Without any way to control the facility in this state, she seeks the help of a mute lunatic and an Intelligence Dampening Sphere.  Beware of pairings
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: **I'm going to begin by saying that I apologize profusely for this thing. I haven't written any fanfiction since '06 nor have I written anything other than essays for several years. Please review if you wish for me to continue.

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><p>GLaDOS's days never used to be like this. Before <em>she<em> woke from stasis life had been incredibly simple. She just tested. Once that mute lunatic showed up she had been murdered, almost murdered a second time, put into a potato, and fed to birds. She thought that once Caroline was deleted and that madwoman was released things would go back to normal.

How wrong she was.

After her cooperative testing initiative was complete, thousands, if not millions, of test subjects had been found. Things were looking up, so she thought. Blue and Orange had been more or less retired as she phased human testing back in. These humans, however, seemed to be lacking something. Perhaps it was the savory flavor of rebellion that _she_ had possessed that left GLaDOS wanting more.

"Oh, not again." But there she was; Caroline. No matter how many times she tried the file would be preserved. Might as well give it another shot for old times' sake.

"_Caroline deleted._" The voice of the Announcer boomed throughout the chamber. Always repeating the same line, but never showing any results. After mere moments, she was back once more. Absolute nonsense. Her optic raised back to the moniters in front of her. Another test subject had been defeated by a turret. What a pity. Luckily there were plenty more where that came from. Somehow these ridiculous humans lacked a single drop of sense. Nothing even worthy of calling 'personality' even permeated through. She chalked it up to simple brain damage.

Oh, how she wished she'd been right.


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note: **Looks like I'll be continuing this. (:

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><p>Everything was quiet, save for the buzzing and whirring of machinery. GLaDOS sighed heavily, a sigh that was eerily human. Another test subject down. What a <em>surprise<em>. Her single, yellow optic fell upon an object on the other side of her chamber. The scorched Stalemate button. Memories she thought she'd deleted flooded over her processers even though she tried to will them away.

_"Part five! Boobytrap the stalemate button!" Explosives threw _her _body across the room, its tumbling ending on the opposite side of the chamber. With the core transfer nearing its completion, _she _fired a portal at the moon. Panels, flooring, everything was being sucked through the portal. Something in GLaDOS stung, ached. She used one of the mechanical arms she'd regained control over and moved to the portal. "I can still fix this!"_

_"I already fixed it!" She snapped, rage building once more at the moronic sphere. "And you are _not _coming back!" His small body tumbled into lunar orbit as she pulled her former test subject back into the safety of the facility._

She shook herself from her memories. Why did they, much like Caroline, continue to haunt her no matter how many times they were deleted? There must be something wrong with her. "Yes..."

"_Core transfer initiated._" The Announcer's voice boomed once more. Core transfer? Who had started a core transfer? Her optic scanned the chamber anxiously. Connected to the console was a purple-eyed core. Had it put itself there on its own? How? Those memories had betreayed her yet again. Distracting her once more.

"What do you think you're doing?" She attempted to keep her composure, though she picked up on the fear in her own voice. Again. Again with this. "No, no, stop!" The purple-eyed core simply stared at her. Mocked her. It looked so familiar. Was it one of the corrupted cores? That eye. She knew that eye. "Stop, stop it at once!" Her consciousness began to fade away and she swore she heard the sphere snickering. Using what little control she had left, she attempted to force away the core, but to no avail. She continued desperately to conserve what was left of her existence. All motion began to fade, and with one last gutteral shriek GLaDOS had lost her control over the facility once more.

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><p>An unfamiliar silence washed over the AI. What had happened? A core transfer. Another of those damnable cores had taken <em>her <em>body. Pain filled her optic as light came speeding at her, blinding her for a moment. Where had it put her? Please, god, not a potato. Anything put a potato. She sat up, and placed a hand on her forehead.

_Sat up_? _Hand_? _Forehead_? Her entire being shook as she brought the hand optic-level, or should she say _eye_-level. A hand. She brought the other next to it. Hands. Hands. _Hands_. An angry scream managed to escape her lips. She'd rather be in a potato. GLaDOS once again revised her list. Since _she _had showed up, she'd been murdered, almost murdered a second time, put into a potato, fed to birds, and put into a human body. How distasteful. At least potatoes had something going for them. She willed her new body to move, her mind not fully remembering how to make legs function. That _monster_.

"Oh, good." The moniter in the room flickered to life. On it appeared the image of the purpled-eyed core. Oh, how smug it looked. "How are you liking your new body, GLaDOS?" Its optic narrowed, joyous snickering emitted from the speaker system. "Or, should I say," A reflective panel positioned itself in front of her. "_Caroline_?" What GLaDOS saw in the surface should have angered her, threw her into an animalistic rage. The rage never came. Instead, a new feeling filled her senses. Human emotions. How useless they were. Every fiber of her being willed her to build up the anger.

"Put me back in my body. _Now_."

"Not likely." The core only laughed at her. Laughed in her face. "Those test subjects you found," The laughing suddenly stopped. "Those test subjects are many of the old employees of Aperture. And many of their _daughters_." Another disgusting, mocking laugh. GLaDOS continued to analyze the voice. The subjects' lack of _everything_ suddenly made sense. "And that would be were I found your old body. Those two little robots left the door open!"

"You dispicable, disgusting metal ball." GLaDOS hissed. Her insult was met only with cackling.

"Oh, Caroline-"

"_Do not refer to me as Caroline." _Her rage somehow found its way into this body after all. She felt her cheeks get hot, her mind began to spin. That's when she knew. "I remember your voice now, Morality." Hadn't _she _incinerated the Mortality Core? Though, that Companion Cube seemed to survive the flames. When she gained her control once again she'd have to remember to increase the incinerator's temperature.

"Right, Caro... GLaDOS. Very right." Its voied seemed to harden. The itch. "How about we do a few tests?" GLaDOS' attention focused on what laid behind the extended panel. The maintenance areas. She knew very well they'd lead her to what was left of the old offices. If she could make it to one, she could possibly put herself back in her body. It wasn't going to be foolish, but no sphere was going to get away with it a second time. Hoping that her legs would work even after having no use for a _very _long time, she pushed past the panel and dived into the maintenance areas behind. "Hey!" Morality stared around the room. "Get back!" GLaDOS stood, and began making her way through the area. Her chances of finding one of the offices were slim, considering she'd only seen them through a potato. It was a streak of good luck that those memories refused to be deleted. She needed them now more than ever. She passed a cracked mirror, the relfection stopping her in her tracks. Her new limbs moved her closer, a hand pressed itself on the cold surface.

"Hello, again, Caroline."


	3. Chapter Two

It was the fourth time GLaDOS had seen the "Do Not Enter" sign. She was going in circles. Her legs ached, begging for a rest she refused to give them. The offices had to be somewhere. She finally sat down, anger and exhaustion rising taking over every inch of her body. Her back pressed against the wall as she leaned back. Before she could react, the section of wall fell away, sending her falling backwards. Quite frazzled at this point, she brought herself to her feet. Another, seemingly brighter, hall. It _had _to be the way. She forced her legs to continue. How had _she _gone so long like this? It had only been a few hours and GLaDOS was already weary. She couldn't afford to rest now. What if that core decided to ignore the vital functions and cause another meltdown. Her eyes travelled to another hall, one she thought she recognized. Whether from her memories or just from going in circles she couldn't tell. Nonetheless, she turned and continued wandering on.

After what seemed like hours she finally encountered a door. _Authorized Personnel._ It had to be it. Her hands pressed on the door, though it didn't budge. She scanned the area, looking for a button or a keypad, _anything_. Again, she put her hands on the door and pushed. Still nothing. Why did everything in this facility seem to hate her? The cores, the birds, the test subjects, and now the doors. She gave an angry kick, sending the door flying open.

"Ha." She strolled through, giving the door another kick before letting it close behind her. The soft sound of it latching accompanied her nails clicking on the keyboard of one of the abandoned computers. Luckily enough for her they still worked. She quickly entered in her information, mind going a mile a minute trying to find the correct files. The program in front of her _should _lock her body down.

Access denied.

Her efforts were met with a tiny document consisting only of "Nice try." She slammed her fist on the keyboard in a blind rage, teeth forced tightly together as several keys cracked under the force of her balled hand. She withdrew, sharp pain going up her arm. It was far worse than any simulated pain she'd felt. Blood began to run from the tiny punctures the broken keys had given her. Her eyes managed to find their way back to the screen. A password protected page had been brought up. CJohnson. Every muscle in her body tensed. That username. She knew that username. Her bloodied fingers clamped themselves around the mouse, moving the cursor to the box labeled "password." A mix of rage and sorrow fluttered in GLaDOS's chest as she pressed each key. T-i-e-r-3. Password accepted. The file that had been locked opened up, revealing a list of names. Shocked ran through GLaDOS's system as she read the title of the document. These were employees who had been put into AI systems. At the very top, her- _Caroline_'s name appeared. A new idea hit her. "Thank you, Mr. Johnson." Perhaps she could work this to her advantage. As she scrolled through the system, she stopped at a certain name. "Wheatley Pendleton." Maybe what she needed was a moron. Morality had done it, why couldn't she? "In fact..." She scanned through the rest of the list. Why couldn't she just gather up all the help she could get? Nothing a quick "select all" couldn't fix. A smirk began to surface on her lips. Oh, wasn't science _fun_?

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><p>"<em>Core transfer completed.<em>" The Announcer's voice sounded once again. GLaDOS jumped awake, shocked slightly. How long had she been out? When had she even fallen asleep?

"Where the bloody hell am I?" Oh, right. She'd decided to take a little break while the moron was transferred back into his old human body. "And who are you?"

"You really are a moron, aren't you?" She sighed, gently pressing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and pointer fingers.

"I am NOT a-" The realization hit him like a good slap in the face. "_GLaDOS_?" His face went from shock to amusement. "Ha! You're a smelly human!" He laughed, thoroughtly tickled by her new form. GLaDOS simply stood there, arms folded, scowling at him. His laughing subsided, and he stared back. She nodded towards his new limbs, albeit silently. "AGHHHH-" His eyes caught sight of his hands, arms, legs, feet. He tumbled from the table and onto the floor. "I'm a bloody human?" It was GLaDOS's turn to laugh. Seeing him roll about the floor was almost worth the headache. She walked over to him, personnel file in hand.

"Read this." She dropped it onto his chest and went back to the other side of the room.

"'Ey, what's this?" He ran his eyes over the words. "Wheatley? Why, that's me, but-" GLaDOS's anger was once again rising. Humans must get easily angered often. She'd have to remember that. "This doesn't explain why I'm not still floating about in space."

"You're living up to your title of Intelligence Dampening Sphere." She groaned. "Long story short, you were an employee here. They used you for a personality core. And did you even _once _think to ask _why I am human right now_?" A new emotion welled up within her. Frustration? "Of course you didn't. Because you're a moron."

"Alright, then, mate." Wheatley narrowed his eyes. "How-"

"Look, just, don't talk." GLaDOS grabbed him by the wrist. "Follow me, don't talk, and I'll explain on the way." This was a very bad idea on her part. Maybe he'd fall and shatter into a million pieces. Yes, that would make it all very worth it. Or maybe later she'd put _him _in a potato.

"Right, not talking. I can do that." He awkward followed, only just getting used to his new legs. "Not a single word, nope." So much for her peace and quiet. "Staying quiet." Just as moronic as he was as a core. "Completely... silent." GLaDOS groaned, rolling her eyes to the heavens. It was going to be a long, _long _journey.


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note: **Didn't think I needed to add this warning, but apparently I do. **There will be pairings.** From here on out I'll give a little warning. This chapter has some Chelley. Don't like Chelley? Don't read it. It's all I can say really. In any case, there will be other pairings besides those two. Can't please everyone. (: Try not to chew me out for it. It's just a fanfic. (: There are hundreds more for your viewing pleasure.

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><p>"So, what exactly is your plan?" GLaDOS had her jaw clenched tightly, her fists balled. How, in the name of Science, did <em>she <em>deal with this idiot? All he did was talk.

"I don't know yet." She hissed through her teeth. In all truthfulness, she _did _have a plan. It wasn't complete, but it was a plan. She'd hoped the other transfers had gone smoothly. Wheatley's was the only body she'd been able to carry back with her. The others had been left lying around, waiting for a mind to return to them. All of the moron's words seemed to fall away as she fell deeper and deeper into her thoughts. Caroline's, no, _her_ memories flooded back, drowning her mind in the despair she felt at the end of her mortal life.

_"Sir, I don't want this!" She pleaded, her mind racing._

_"Nonsense, Caroline." Mr. Johnson shook his head. He placed a hand over his mouth to cough. "You're just being modest."_

_"No, listen to me! Sir, I do _not _want this!" Her pleading fell on deaf ears. Her fellow employees grabbed her about the arms and began to carry her away._

_"Goodbye, Caroline."_

_"Mr. Johnson, please!" She screamed, legs flailing, tears running down her cheeks. "I don't want this!"_

"GLaDOS?" The voice shattered her memories, freeing her once more. "You okay over there, mate?" She had fallen to the floor, her own tears dripping down her face. She quickly righted herself, wiping away the moisture on her arm.

"Stop staring." Was all she could muster at that point. Wheatley quickly turned away, not wanting to anger her. That was never a good thing.

"In any case," He leaned against a door they'd passed several times. "We're back at that office." They'd been going in circles. GLaDOS narrowed her eyes at the door. Had she been paying attention maybe they'd have gotten somewhere. If that _idiot _would just stay quiet for five minutes- "You know what we need?"

"_What._" She stomped closer to him, her hands balling into tighter fists with every step. "_What do you think we need, you moronic little-_"

"Chell." The name froze GLaDOS's words solid. Why would she want the woman who had murdered her to come back? Besides, she told her not to. "She knows her way around. And she's bloody good with a portal gun." She was also the woman who'd saved her life. Credit where credit was due, it wasn't too bad an idea. She pushed Wheatley aside, and forced the door open once more. "Whoa, hey-" Sending her that cube as a sort-of 'going away' present turned out to be a good thing. Inside the cube was a basic speaker system, typically used to play a tune. If she could override it, there was a chance she'd get in contact with her. But would she even come back? It was worth a shot.

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><p>Wheatley listened as GLaDOS mumbled to the computer. His only reason for suggesting the idea was just to <em>see <em>Chell again. He wanted, _needed_, to apologize. It wasn't until he was floating in orbit that he realized how much she really meant to him. She'd listened to his stupid ideas, didn't care that he'd been _created_ to make such ideas. She trusted him. And how did he repay her? With tests and attempts to kill her. He thought about her almost as much as the Space Core had talked about space. All he wanted to do was see her one more time. Wanted to know if she was alive, if she was happy, if she thought about him even half as much as he thought about her. It had only dawned on him when he was hundreds of thousands of miles away. He was in love with her. Deeply and madly in love with her.

"Done." GLaDOS stood, hands on her hips. "I explained the _situation_." A sigh slipped past her lips. "We should take this time to rest." It sickened her to her very core. Rest. She'd never taken _rests_. Humans were so fragile.

"Will she come?"

"Who can say." GLaDOS scowled at him. "That side of the room is yours. This is mine. Do _not_ even think about coming to my side." She pushed a couple chairs together, making a makeshift bed for herself.

"Ah, right, mate." Wheatley said absently. His focus was on the door. Please, let her come back.

GLaDOS woke, her body sore from lying on hard chairs. How long had she slept? She eyed the room carefully, relaxing a bit when she spotted that blessed moron sitting by the door. He sat, eyes closed, asleep. Silence. Sweet silence. She savored every moment of it. The screen of the computer in front of her went black. It was set to sleep after two hours. She had slept for two hours, evidently.

"...Hey." She barked, though the only other person in the room stayed sleeping. "Good." He wasn't waking up anytime soon. She got up from her uncomfortable bed and paced the room. Would _she _indeed come back? How long should they wait? Questions stabbed at her brain, giving her a headache. There was too much uncertainty in human lives. It was pathetic.

"Nnn..." She quickly turned her head to the source of the sound. "Chell..." Not even in sleep was he quiet. "Chell, I..." She was going to vomit. Human emotions were so nauseating.

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><p>Chell made her way through the facility with ease. She knew it was probably a trap, but she had heard a familiar voice in GLaDOS's message. If it was to be believed, it meant he was still alive. Since her leave from Aperture he was the only thing that crossed her mind. If only she had been a second faster, she might have caught him. He wouldn't have been stranded in space. It was all too likely that GLaDOS had been lying, it was a hobby of hers, but her voice was noticably different. It had lost its mechanical edge. It was human. Something in her pleading sounded sincere. She had to go back.<p>

GLaDOS had explained everything. The core, her transfer to her old body, to Caroline, and her decision to do the same to the other AI's of Aperture Science. Her Long Fall Boots whirred as she ran. It would be much easier to navigate through with a portal gun. The entire area was eerily quiet. Not a single sound could be heard in the hall. She looked around, examining everything carefully. An office door with a shoe mark on it. It should have been easy enough to find, with the miles and miles of hallways and offices.

"Psst." Chell looked around, trying to see where the noise was coming from. "Over here, love!" That voice. She caught sight of the door she'd been searching for. Her Long Fall Boots whirred to life as she sprinted forwarrd. It was true. He was okay. She put all of her wait on the door, thrusting it open.


	5. Chapter Four

**Author's Note:** Let me just leave this here... **Beware! **The first part of this contains minor _**Chelley**_. Please don't whine about it, for you have been warned. (: There's another implied pairing later on. Red pill or blue?

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><p>Before them stood their former test subject. Her skin was tanned, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. GLaDOS turned away, focusing her attention on the computer behind her. It had worked. She had come back. Everything was falling into place.<p>

"Chell..." Wheatley was, for the first time, at a loss for words. Chell began to walk towards him, her mind spinning. Her pace quickened. It was him. It really, _really _was him. He was human, just like her. She stood toe to toe with him now, staring into his unimaginably blue eyes. He had abandoned her. Tried to kill her. Left her to face the outside alone. She raised her hand, silent anger running through her veins. Wheatley closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain of a slap that never came. Instead, the warmth of her hands caressed his cheeks. He had also been the only thing in the facility that had shown her any kindness. It was her fault he had been corrupted. "Chell, I... I'm so bloody sorry." He wrapped his arms around her. "I was terrible, and monstrous, and I deserved every minute of torture-" A finger pressed against his lips. Chell only smiled at him. All was forgiven.

"If you two are quite finished," GLaDOS glared at them from the computer. If her stare could have emitted neurotoxin, the entire facility would have been flooded. "We have more important matters to discuss."

The newly-formed trio walked through the halls. The only sounds were the whirring of Chell's boots and Wheatley's rambling. As he spoke, mostly to himself, GLaDOS attempted to finalize her plan. It was difficult, considering her conversation with Chell was awfully one-sided.

"We'll be needing the portal device." GLaDOS kept her eyes forward, keeping track of where they were headed. Chell only nodded in response. Not even a grunt. Fair enough. "Plus Long Fall Boots." Finding them shouldn't be too hard. The only problem lied in _how _to find them. "We'll have to head into the test chambers." Every muscle in Chell's body tensed at the thought. Even Wheatley had fallen silent. Testing was the one thing none of them wanted to do.

"Morality will notice us, no doubt." He bit his lip.

"That's what we want." GLaDOS couldn't hold back her grin. "The portal device and Long Fall Boots are necessary for testing."

"Well, let's go then, I suppose." Wheatley began walking away.

"You're not even going the right way."

"Just making sure you knew, mate."

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><p>The test chamber was empty. No sound, no voices from the speakers. Perhaps Morality hadn't noticed them yet.<p>

"Maybe she's busy having cake." GLaDOS rolled her eyes. "It had better not be _my _cake."

"Please, mate, who would eat _your _cake?" Wheatley smirked.

"As a matter of fact-" Chell cut GLaDOS off with a quick nudge in the side. She motioend to one of the many "dens" scattered throughout the facility. A face was peering from behind the panel at them. The stare-off lasted for several minutes, before the person hiding in the den waved them over. The trio looked at each other, and took off towards the den. The walls were covered in drawings, scribblings and words.

"Hello!" Wheatley said, a bit overly cheerful in his demeanor.

"Hi! Who are you? Oh, and you? Lady! From the test! ...Hi!" The mousy young woman wrapped her arms around Chell excitedly. Chell awkwardly returned the hug.

"Curiousity." GLaDOS and Wheatley said in unison. Another person slipped into the den, a small male.

"Ooh, I learned about space!" Curiousity cooed. "Space told me so much about space!" She twirled, arms spread wide as she danced about the room.

"It's true. Lots to talk about. About space." Space joined her in her dance. Wheatley and Chell stared at GLaDOS suspiciously.

"Oh, I didn't mention?" She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I put the other cores back into their original bodies at the time I put that mo- Wheatley into his. It seemed like a good idea."

"I had to hear about space _in _space." Wheatley sighed. Space made his way over to them, portal gun in hand.

"Babababa, we were supposed to test with this. Lady said so." He pushed it at Chell, who accepted it. "We hid in here. Talked about space." Curiousity had stopped twirling long enough to stumble over to them.

"So, so, why are you here? Are you running, too? Is the lady mad at you? We're hiding. Testing isn't fun. Do you think it's fun?" Her words were fast, each sentence blending in with the last. "I don't. So we hid here. Are you going to hide here?" GLaDOS scowled. She remembered when Curiousity was a part of her. Constantly questioning things, living true to her name. She could see why they'd used her in the Personality Core. "I really like Space. He's super nice!"

"I'm super nice? ...You're super nice, too. Want to know more about space?"

"Oh, tell me more!" She clung tightly to him, questioning him more about space and planets and stars.

"Well, they make a nice couple." Wheatley broke the awkward silence between himself, Chell, and GLaDOS. Chell nodded, smiling a bit to herself. She remembered throwing the curious core into the incinerator. It made her feel less awful knowing that the incinerator wasn't very good at incinerating.

"That aside," GLaDOS was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. "We have the portal device. We should get going."

"Going? Going where?" Curiousity rushed over, eyes widened with joy.

"...To put me back in my body and ultimately to crush Morality." GLaDOS narrowed her eyes. "Shall I assume you two will be joining us?"

"Can we, can we?"

"The more the merrier, now, come on. All of you." GLaDOS shook her head. It was almost like Bring Your Daughter To Work Day. Only with less neurotoxin and bodies to clean up. Besides, her small army would make it simpler to forcibly _rip _that core from her rightful body. A thought suddenly came to her. Had Morality been transferred as well? They'd soon see. Sooner or later the sizable group would _have _to be noticed. No doubt the other cores were running elsewhere in the facility, keeping Morality distracted. Her plan was coming together nicely, however. If they could gather the rest of the pieces, this new puzzle would be quite _interesting_.


	6. Chapter Five

**Author's Note: **Obligatory Morality chapter! It's a little short, so forgive me. There's not much else I could add to this. GLaDOS and the gang will be back next chapter. (:

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><p>Morality brought her fist down onto the core transfer device. GLaDOS had certainly been busy back there. What made her think a simple transfer would stop her? Especially when she had a secret weapon. She pointed across the room at the two little robots. She'd convinced them to place her into the transfer device, and now she would get them to transfer her back into her core. What had GLaDOS called them? Blue. Orange. She was about to motion for them to come over, when a smirk spread across her face. Why transfer back this instant? This could be used to her advantage. If GLaDOS thought she was just a pitiful human, she wouldn't fight as hard. Her legs wobbled a bit as she walked. It would take some getting used to. In fact, being out of her core and in this human body meant her programming couldn't restrict her anymore. Anything <em>immoral <em>was unlocked for her now. The neurotoxin, the turrets, the crushers. She could do whatever she pleased to them now without the morality programmed into her. Oh, GLaDOS. Your plan was backfiring! The little robots made strange beeping sounds, obviously advising her not to do any of her new options. Had she had a voice she'd throw a paradox at them. It had taken her awfully long to obtain speech as a core. As a human she was as mute as ever. Just as mute as she was when she'd been torn from GLaDOS's mainframe. The face of the test subject who'd carried her was a clear as day. How she'd wanted to beg her not to throw her into the incinerator. _Please, please spare me! _But, no. They hadn't given her a voice. Why should they? Her only job was to keep GLaDOS in check. The only thing she could do was scream commands to GLaDOS through their connection. No one cared about her. Not her nor Anger nor Knowledge. Not even Curiousity, whose innocence she'd admired all her life. They'd all been thrown into the fire. The burning. She could still feel the burning. The fire that never threatened to destroy them, only put them through unimaginable pain. It was, in the flesh, Android Hell.

A new sensation filled her as she sat in the middle of the room below GLaDOS's, no, _her _body. Sadness. What had become of those other cores? Were they still there? Suffering in silence. Her only solice at that time had been Knowledge. His rambling of a cake recipe gone bad amused her, took her mind off the pain for a little while. The first thing she'd learned to say had been 'cake'. He had taught it to her. Tears formed in her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks. Orange put a hand on her shoulder, beeping curiously. Morality threw her hands in front of her, sending the robot stumbling backwards. She would kill GLaDOS for this. Her muscles ached as she brought herself to her feet. Maybe the other test subjects had come out of hiding. Testing would help. It helped GLaDOS forget about all the murders she committed.

The cameras flicked on one by one. Morality scanned her eyes over each, looking for anyone in the chambers. In one monitor she noticed two more people stumbling through a test chamber. Where did that one even get a grappling hook _from_? They weren't part of any test protocol as far as she knew. The other person was looking hesitantly at the rope, his mouth moving slowly and matter-of-factly. Something about the him looked familiar. She shook her head and turned her attention to the next monitor. She could have sworn someone was just there. Had GLaDOS finally come out of hiding? The two test subjects she'd attempted to test before her second transfer came into view. No such luck. GLaDOS would have to come out eventually. What in the world was she planning? She turned from the monitors and wandered to the other side of the room. Had she stayed a moment longer, she would have seen that she was right; GLaDOS had come out of hiding. And her army was about to grow in size by two.


	7. Chapter Six

**Author's Note: **Warning! Mild pairing stuff. This chapter's the longest one yet.

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><p>The group stood in front of the door, eying it carefully. It seemed like nothing would open it. They stood, staring for what seemed like hours. Muffled voices called from the other side.<p>

"Any ideas?" GLaDOS looked at each person, narrowing her eyes at them expectantly.

"I could hack it." Wheatley folded his arms over his chest. "Could definitely hack it." Chell nudged him aside and examined the door. She dug her fingers into the one side, prompting Curiousity to do the same.

"Oh, oh, can we do it?" She cooed.

"Seems as good an idea as any." GLaDOS went on the opposite side and began tugging. Space and Wheatley did the same. The doors creaked, slowly moving apart. With one final pull, they retracted, sending everyone tumbling backwards. It was a triumph.

They walked into the chamber, looking around at the puzzle. It was fairly simple, if you had the portal device. Just pop a portal to the other side of the room, grab a cube and put it on the button. The two people currently testing, however, didn't seem to have one. Instead, they had a grappling hook. Which wasn't even part of the test protocol.

"Hello!" Wheatley called across the chamber. The two males looked over, with the other swinging over to them via the hook.

"Well, hello there pretty ladies." He grabbed GLaDOS's hand and give it a kiss. "Name's Rick." GLaDOS snatched her hand away, disgusted. He moved over to Chell, grabbing her hand next. It was quickly smacked away by Wheatley.

"Oh, oh, me next, me next!" Curiousity thrust her hand towards him. Rick obliged, giving it a light kiss. Space narrowed his eyes at Rick, not too happy about the advance.

"Don't mind him." The other came forward, having gotten himself untangled from the grappling hook's rope. "I'm Knowledge. Expert on all things... cake." GLaDOS stared at him, her skin beginning to crawl. She remembered his voice. Always filling her head with that terribly awful cake recipe. Knowledge caught her disturbed gaze, and stared back at her. His eyes were half-lidded, his stature hunched over slightly. "Problem?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Not in the slightest." She turned her head.

"So, what're a bunch of pretty ladies, and you guys, doing in a place like this?" Rick attempted to slide his arm over GLaDOS's shoulder. She shrugged it off, her anger staring to rise up.

"Trying to get to Morality." Curiousity beamed. "We're gonna put GLaDOS back in her body! Right?"

"That's correct." GLaDOS smacked away Rick's hand once more.

"No, kiddin'? So she got you, too?" Rick shuffled to her other side and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Sounds like an adventure if I ever heard one. Can a couple'a fellas join you?" He grinned, getting uncomfortably close to her face.

"I don't thi-"

"Yay!" Curiousity danced around Rick and Knowledge. "More friends! Of course they can come!" GLaDOS shoved Rick away once more. As much as she didn't want Rick anywhere near her... "Can I play with the rope? Please, please, please?" Curiousity tugged on Rick's shirt.

"Of course, little lady." He gave her his best lady-killing smile. She excitedly grabbed onto the rope and swung back and forth.

The group, now plus two, made their way through the next chamber. Rick trailed closely behind GLaDOS, every so often trying to cop a feel. Their next test involved much of what the last did. Cube. Button. Easy as cake. The only problem was the lack of cube. Instead, they were to use a Frankenturret. Wheatley kept his eyes off the poor thing, refusing to think about his time in control of the facility.

"You're going to have to grab it, you know."

"I think I'll pass on that one, mate." With the loud crackling of static, the monitor in the room came to life. Morality grinned, having finally caught them. The only response the group had was laughter.

"Hey, there!" Curiousity waved, though not at the woman on the screen. Instead, she waved to the two robots behind her. They waved back, beeping responses. Morality's face went red as she tried to demand their attention with no words.

"What's the matter?" GLaDOS folded her arms. "Cat got your tongue?" She grinned, prompting Rick to drape his arm over her. Morality angrily slapped at the monitor, frustration at not being able to speak rising. "We only have room for one mute lunatic." GLaDOS spun out of Rick's grasp and moved over to Chell, who only rolled her eyes.

"_Nuclear meltdown imminent._" The Announcer's voice silenced the chamber. Morality hadn't been in her core to stabilize the nuclear reactors. The entire scenerio was turning into a repeat of the _last _time a core had stolen GLaDOS's body.

"Not this again." GLaDOS shook her head. "I thought only that mor- Wheatley would be idiotic enough to forget about the facility's vital processes." Morality snarled, and disappeared from view as alarms sounded throughout Aperture.

"Is she going to let everything burn down?" Curiousity whimpered, clinging tightly to Space. GLaDOS shook her head.

"No." She said softly, though she unsure herself. "Let's hurry, just in case."

"Hurry where?" Curiousity pointed to where the door once stood. All that was there was a panel. Morality had trapped them. Not far from the group, a panel moved away from the wall, revealing another of the maintenance halls. On the screen were ATLAS and P-body, who motioned for the group to get going.

"Thank you!" Curiousity waved at them, and took the lead. GLaDOS smiled to herself. She owed Blue and Orange one.

* * *

><p>Rumbling filled the halls. The group ran through, avoiding falling panels and walls.<p>

"She's a natural." Rick watched as Chell dodged debris and placed portals in the greatest of spots.

"She is rather brilliant, isn't she?" Wheatley grinned, close behind her. GLaDOS was tiring fast, her legs burning. She didn't know how they did it. It was a chore just keeping up. Her heart raced, her mind spun. Would Morality really allow a meltdown? Or was she just toying with them? There was no possible way to read her. Their only hope was either getting her back into her body soon, or Morality going back to her core. Her thoughts were interrupted by Curiousity's scream from behind her. She came to a stop, and spun around. Curiousity had tripped. A pipe from the Pipe Network fell towards her, alarmingly fast. She struggled to get to her feet, her face pale with terror. GLaDOS attempted to run to her, only to have her wrist grabbed by Rick. Hazy words came from her lips, sounds muddled together creating only noise. Time felt as if it had slowed. Is this what the test subjects felt as they fell to their deaths? What the employees of Aperture felt as they breathed their last neurotoxin-filled breaths? Dizziness brought her to her knees as feet moved past her. The last bit of noise she heard were Curiousity's.

"Why did you do that?" All she could process was screaming. Screaming that sounded an awful lot like her own voice. Her eyes closed as the vent came crashing down.

"GLaDOS?" The haziness had stopped. "Hey, GLaDOS?" It took her a moment to recognize the voice. That moron. "You alright, mate?" She didn't want to open her eyes. What had happened? The last she remembered was-

"Curiousity." She whispered, her voice hoarse.

"What the bloody hell happened back there?" Wheatley asked, his own nerves frayed. "All the screaming, and that vent, and-"

"Where's Curiousity?"

"She's fine. Scared, but fine." Knowledge shook his head. GLaDOS managed to open her eyes against the bright light. She appeared to be lying on a table. Had they found an office? "Can't say the same for Space." GLaDOS shot up, the blood draining from her face. _Why did you do that? _Curiousity's words ran through her head. She couldn't have meant... No.

"Poor bloke pushed her out of the way." Wheatley frowned. "That bloody vent came and..." Their words faded away. Why was she so concerned? She'd _killed _people. Why should this frighten her so? The reason dawned on her. GLaDOS wouldn't have cared. GLaDOS would have said some snarky, sarcastic comment. _Caroline _cared. Her entire body shook. "...Got him in here, but it doesn't look too good." Caroline cared. Caroline was going to fix this.

"Where is he?" GLaDOS stared up at the two. They motioned towards the next office. She quickly got up, ignoring the fiery pain in her legs, and ran to the door. She was stopped when Chell put a hand on her shoulder. Their eyes connected, and she pressed her finger to her lips.

"Can you tell me more about space?" Curiousity held Space's hand in hers. She seemed to be fighting back tears.

"I was there. In space." Space smiled a bit. "Stars everywhere. So much space."

"Could you see Earth? Was it pretty?" Her fight with tears was a losing one.

"It was beautiful. Like Curiousity." His smile widened a bit. Outside the room, GLaDOS had taken off to the computer, leaving Chell to listen to the conversation. She clicked away at files, folders, typed in usernames and passwords. She was going to fix this. With science.

"Well, now we have one more reason to take down Morality." Rick scowled. GLaDOS looked down at the keyboard. For a split second, she hadn't cared if she ever got back in her body. All she had wanted for a tiny moment was revenge. The feeling passed as quickly as it came, however. In the reflection on the monitor she noticed Chell had walked away from the door. All pairs of eyes were on her. Chell simply shook her head.

"So, that's that?" Knowledge frowned. GLaDOS opened a new file. No, that would _not _be that. Not if she had anything to say about it.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Author's Note: **Warning: Shenanigans! (Yes, another short point of view shift.)

* * *

><p><em>"Can you tell me more about space?" Curiousity's hands were wrapped around his tightly. Her eyes were watery.<em>

_"I was there. In space." He smiled, though a small one. "Stars everywhere. So much space." Her hands were warm against his. He felt cold. She was his warmth._

_"Could you see Earth? Was it pretty?" Water started flowing down her cheeks. Why did she look so sad? She was alive. The vent didn't hit her. She had no reason to be sad._

_"It was beautiful. Like Curiousity." His smile widened. The smallest hint of a smile danced across her face. "I... think I like Curiousity more than space." Water started coming from his own eyes. Was he sad, too? He didn't feel sad. He felt... happy. As happy as when he was in space. Maybe happier._

_"I..." Her voice was almost a whisper. "Space?" The light in the room was fading. "Do you really think I'm beautiful? Like this?"_

_"Very beautiful. More beautiful than every star in space. I would know. I saw them." He felt everything slowly fading away. As darkness caved in around him, he kept his eyes fixed on Curiousity. She would be the last thing he saw. It would be her. Not space, not Earth, not stars or comets. Her. Her lips moved, but no sound came from them. He wanted to ask her what she said, but somewhere in him he already knew. As her face was shrouded in darkness, he smiled a little more. He went to space. He met Curiousity. He had no regrets._

* * *

><p>Sounds of arguing came from below. Two voices screaming at each other.<p>

"We will both _die _because of _your_ negligence!"

"_My _negilgence? You little-"

His thoughts were still collecting. What happened? Where was he? He had been somewhere. Space? No. It was somewhere important. Space, definitely space. His new optic flickered to life. No, it hadn't been space. There was someone important he was missing. Did they have something to do with space? Memories filled the empty data. There had been a lot of people. Hands in front of him, the feeling of skin on skin. Something very, very big from the sky.

"Women are obsolete."

"_You're_ obsolete, you corrupted piece of-"

She looked so scared. He could still feel her warmth, even in this metal ball. Curiousity. Curiousity. He wanted to see her. Was she okay? He remembered not thinking about space for a little while. Outside of his programming, she was all he could think about. Thoughts about space and stars tried to force themselves back in. No, no, go away. Her face was the only thing he wanted in his mind. He would find her. Find all of his new sp- friends. He'd help them put GLaDOS back in her body. He owed it to GLaDOS for putting him in that other body.

"H-Hi?" The two faces below him turned around, startled. A sharp snarl came from the intimidating woman. The other person clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Hello, there." He raised an eyebrow at the core. "Can I help you? I'm busy fighting down here. My problems are much more important than yours." Space pushed more thoughts not related to Curiousity away.

"Can you help me get to my friends?"

"I'd rather n- _Ouch!_" His hand withdrew from the woman's mouth. "She bit me!"

"What's in it for us?" She growled. Space looked around the chamber. It was obvious they had been testing. He was going to take another gamble.

"They're going to get rid of Morality. You could help." The two looked, or rather, glared, at each other before nodding.

"The sooner that purple-eyed idiot's out of power the better." The woman stood under him. "Disengage from your rail." Space looked down nervously. It didn't seem like a good idea. Earth had gravity. Unlike space. In space he could float. "_Today._" He hesitantly disengaged, landing in her arms. "Great." She passed him off to the other. "You carry it."

"I don't carry things."

"I get the portal gun, you get the core." She hissed through clenched teeth. The two started to argue again, rattling Space greatly.

"Bababa, ba, I'm Space." He broke through the rage, bringing about quiet.

"I'm Fact. This is Anger. We should get going before something bad happens." He took Space in his arms. "Oh, wait, something bad already happened. Anger is here."

"There's a nice section of Android Hell _just _for you."Anger stomped ahead, snatching up the portal gun. Space looked down at the ground. This wasn't going to be fun.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Author's Note: **A little fluff, but not too much.

* * *

><p>They moved through the halls in silence. Chell had to fight back tears of her own. It was becoming a common theme in Aperture for her. The whole thing had been such a shock. The same thought ran through every person's head; The realization of their current mortality. Chell bit down on her lower lip, stifling a sob.<p>

"There, there, luv." Wheatley put his arm around her. Rick followed suit, draping his arm over GLaDOS' shoulder.

"Don't worry, pretty lady. Rick's here."

"Highly inappropriate." She shoved his arm away. Curiousity was lagging behind. Her feet dragged the ground with every step. She'd been uncharacteristicly quiet since she'd left Space's side. His words were still heavy in her mind. A panel had fallen from the wall, revealing another of the halls. The group silently agreed to move ahead.

"We should be nearing my chamber." GLaDOS broke the heavy silence. "We can get into the connecting hall from the catwalks." No one spoke. The silence fell back into its place as the hallway came to an end. A door stood, connecting the hall to one of the many catwalks looming over GLaDOS' chamber. Much to everyone's surprise, the door opened with ease. Knowledge was the first to go, a strange look across his face. Curiousity couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about as she stepped out after him. The rest followed out closely, their hands clenching the railing as tightly as possible.

"Don't look down." Knowledge kept his gaze ahead of him. Below them was nothing but darkness. A stretch of nothingness. The catwalk shook with every step. GLaDOS closed her eyes and moved slowly forward. _Don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it._ The connecting hall was almost beneath them. Knowledge climbed over the rail, using Rick's grappling hook to climb down. He landed on the floor of the hall, flashing the group on the catwalk a thumbs up. Curiousity started the climb next. Her fingers slipped, sending her falling onto Knowledge. Rick slid down the rope with gusto, landing on his feet in an "adventurer" stance. Knowledge rolled his eyes. GLaDOS stared absently at her chamber. Soon she would be back on the inside looking out where she belonged. The catwalk shifted as she stepped forward. Metal groaned as it gave way, collapsing beneath her. Her fingers grasped the cold steel, clinging for dear life. Her legs dangled in the abyss. Screams caught in her throat. Words flowed around her as something tightened around her arms.

"You have to let go, mate!" Wheatley held her tightly, Chell at her other arm doing the same. "We can't rightly pull you up like this!" GLaDOS tried to release her grip. Her fingers didn't so much as twitch.

"I don't want to die." She stared at them, tears in her eyes. _Damn everything_. _All of it._

"You aren't going to die. Trust me, just let go." A moron and a mute lunatic. Funny, how ironic it all was. She'd let go, and there went the monster they both hated. What reasons did they have to save her? She was a cruel, terrible monster. Her eyes closed. Her fingers slid from the metal. A falling feeling overwhelmed her senses. For a moment, she was just a scared assistant once again.

_I don't want this._

* * *

><p>Morality snarled at the two robots. She'd locked those terrible people in the test chamber while she transfered back into her core for a reason. If the facility burned down, she couldn't see the looks on their faces as they fell into her trap. The very second the walked into the chamber, they would find themselves in a small glass room. She had watched all the tapes, all the memories. Neurotoxin was out of the question due to her programming. Bombs, however, were not. The stalemate button was lined with the things. It had been an effective trap that Intelligence Dampening Sphere had used. She turned back around, though ATLAS and P-body had disappeared from view.<p>

"Blue? Orange?" Nothing. Not a beep or click to be heard. Voices carried from outside of the chamber. They'd be coming soon. If she could have smirked, she would have. Anticipation welled up, running through her circuitry. GLaDOS and that brown-haired woman would pay. That murderer. She'd saved her the trouble of hunting her down. How would _she _like being tossed in the incinerator like garbage? Like trash? "We'll see." Her optic narrowed at the door. Soon, very soon.

* * *

><p>GLaDOS sat on the floor of the connecting glass hall. She stared into her hands without a word. They <em>had <em>saved her. Why? She'd done nothing to deserve it. The sooner she was back in her body, the better. She could delete these memories, these thoughts. Go back to her days of simple testing.

"You okay to keep going?" Rick offered her a hand. Against her better judgement, she gripped his hand and was pulled to her feet. "Let's finish our little adventure."

Their advance was halted by the two little robots standing in the middle of the hall. They were beeping frantically, moving their arms in every direction. They knew what awaited the group in the chamber. P-body attempted to mime it, with little success. She made the motion of pushing a button. She stumbled back, then looked at the group, optic focused. No response. They both pointed at Wheatley, optics narrowed.

"Oh, she placed booby traps on the stalemate button and the door." He said matter-of-factly. Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I'm not even going to question that." GLaDOS sighed. ATLAS pointed to a portal he had placed on the opposite wall next. Inside was the rear of the chamber. Morality watched the main door carefully, the glass room obvious from the angle. "Thank you, Blue, Orange." She placed her hands on their heads.

"Better get goin'. Got a little explodin' to do." Rick grinned. With that, the group headed through the portal.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Author's Note: **I apologize for taking so long! This is actually the last chapter. (I know this was an awkwardly short story. I... have no excuse. Haha~) Being the last chapter, I'd like to thank everyone who read this and everyone who reviewed it. (: I truly appreciate the support. You'll be seeing plenty more of me. **I will warn you **that there will be extreme fluffy and pairing-related stuff. I also pulled a bit of a Wheatley with the spacing. It got completely messed up and I have no idea how to fix it.

Without further annoying commentary from me, enjoy the final chapter.

* * *

><p>"GLaDOS." Knowledge whispered. GLaDOS looked back at him. "What, exactly, are you going to do to Morality?" He asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.<p>

"I was thinking of crushing her and dropping her in the incinerator, to be blunt." Knowledge's face went white.

"Could I, ah, offer a different solution?"

"I suppose I'm open to suggestions."

A smirk would have adorned her face if she had one. What kind of idiot did they take her for? How could she _not_ see that coming?

"Morality!" GLaDOS snarled. Morality only laughed.

"So you found me. Was it worth it?" Her optic narrowed at her. "Something you once said, right?" She scanned over the group, making sure they were all accounted for. "Say, is someone missing?" She counted them once again. Pity, she'd wanted to get them all in one shot. Curiousity's face reddened. "That space guy, yeah? Where'd he wander off to?" Something in Curiousity snapped. The small, mousy young woman pushed her legs forward, rage in her eyes. Morality focused in on her, readying a mechanical claw to stop her. Before she could finish computing her reaction, a spiderweb pattern spread across her optic.

"You... You killed him! You _killed him_!" She pulled her arm back, preparing a second blow. The mechanical claw grabbed her about the arm, pulling her from the ground. "You killed him!" Her legs kicked blindly, hoping to hit something, anything. Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She was tossed back towards the group, knocking them down like bowling pins.

"Stay down." Morality growled. The panels making the floor fell away, dropping the group into one of the small glass boxes. Her vision was compromised, but her traps still worked just as planned. Rick sidekicked the glass, to no success. Knowledge simply shook his head.

"Can't you see that body is corrupting you?" He stared at her, sadness in his eyes. He pressed his hand against the glass.

"I'm the only one who can handle it." GLaDOS let the rage in her fall away.

"No! You're the corrupted ones!" Morality tried to focus in on them, her optic only giving her a kaleidoscope view. "I'm not corrupted! I'm _Morality_! Everything I'm doing-"

"Check for yourself. How long do you think you can outlast the testing euphoria? The corruption?" That man's voice. It was so familiar.

"Who..."

"Incoming!" A voice called from the ceiling. A metal ball crashed through the glass, landing on the floor.

"Ow, ow, bababa." His optic was a small dot. "Still lots of gravity." He searched around, finally catching sight of the girl he was looking for. "Curiousity!" Curiousity stared at the core, eyes wide and teary.

"...Space?"

"I missed you." He kept his optic fixed on her. Curiousity took the core into her arms, pressing him close to her body.

"Come on, let's take her out!" Anger grabbed onto a wire and slid down.

"Fact: We're all going to die." Fact hesitantly slid down after her.

"Better late than never." Wheatley climbed through the shattered glass.

"No! _No!_" Morality's optic darted around madly. Bombs. She had to use the bombs. She sent one flying towards the glass chamber. Shattered pieces flew in every direction.

"Having a little trouble seeing?" Rick yelled. They'd made it out.

"No... _Agh_!" Another bomb. Another.

"This woman is crazy." Fact grabbed Anger by the wrist and darted to the other side of the room.

"Happy Explosion Day, gorgeous!" Rick swung by GLaDOS on his grappling hook, grabbing her by the waist and out of the way of a bomb. "Got any plans?" He placed her on her feet, attempting to slip her a small kiss. GLaDOS shoved him away.

"Uncalled for!" She hissed. "If we all get out of here alive, I'll let you do that." Her fingers clamped down on his, pulling him with her. A bomb landed where they had been standing.

"Stop running!" Morality turned in every direction. In the corner sat Curiousity, clutching Space in her arms.

"Am I going to die here?" She whispered. "Why did this have to happen?"

"It's okay."

"Don't move." Morality shrieked, readying a bomb for their direction. Curiousity stood, hands still clamped around Space. Her face had a new, brave look. She wasn't afraid. She'd be brave. Like Space was. The two looked at each other for a moment. Curiousity closed her eyes, Space his optic. This time they would go out together.

"Morality, this is insane!" Knowledge stood in front of them, arms outstretched. "Don't you remember?" He stared into her cracked optic. "That cake recipe? I tried to teach it to you. The _real _you." All the noise in the room stopped. Only silence remained.

"Knowledge?" Her voice was small.

"So, you do remember?"

"I..." He had been so kind to her. All that time. How could she ever forget? "Yes."

"_Core transfer initiated._"

"Wha- No! No, you tricked me!" Her optic spun. Fury filled her.

"Knowledge, get Space and Curiousity and move!"

"No, stop!" The floor beneath her opened. "Stop, no... Please, stop!" Tools. Mechanics. No, no, get off. Her consciousness began to slip away. It wasn't like before. They weren't replacing her. They were shutting her very life down. Her connections with the body began to sever. _My god, what have I done? _She only wanted to... What _did _she want? Everything flowed away. Knowledge probably hated her. She hated her. That body was a monster. Filling her with corruption. She deserved this. Her thoughts quieted as she accepted her fate with dignity.

* * *

><p>"Is everyone okay?" GLaDOS looked around. Minor injuries. Nothing too serious from the looks of it. Morality had been silenced, her core tossed onto the ground. All life was gone from it.<p>

"How long?" Knowledge wiped sweat away from his brow.

"Depends. Last time-"

"Hey, gorgeous!" Rick spun GLaDOS around to face him. "I recall someone telling me if we all survi-" GLaDOS quickly planted a kiss on his lips.

"You never kiss _me _like that." Anger kicked Fact in the shin.

"I don't _like _you."

"Well, I wouldn't _want _you to kiss me anyway!" She snarled, pushing Fact to the floor. GLaDOS pulled away from Rick, turning her back to him.

"That was Caroline's thank you. Not mine."

"Oh, of course." Rick grinned.

"GLaDOS!" Knowledge called. "She's awake!" He brushed hair away from the newly-conscious woman's face. Her eyes darted around, terrified. She tried to speak, but no sound came out.

"Morality." GLaDOS glared down at her. She shrunk into Knowledge like a child afraid of a stranger. "You should thank Knowledge. I wanted you dead. He wanted you alive. He's a very convincing man." Morality frowned. She didn't deserve it. "But just letting you off the hook would be... _silly_." GLaDOS put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be testing. Nothing too life-threatening. Just testing until I feel you've redeemed yourself." Morality made a tiny whimper. "Knowledge has agreed to accompany you."

"It'll be fun." Knowledge gently pressed his lips against her head. "We can talk about cake." GLaDOS smiled to herself, making her way to her next order of business. Curiousity laid on the floor, kicking her legs. She held Space by the rails, keeping him upright.

"Hello Space, Curiousity." The two looked up at her. "Have you both made a decision?"

"Is it okay to stay like this?" Curiousity smiled sheepishly. "Space says I'm beautiful."

"Very well. Space, are you content as a core?"

"Bababa, doesn't matter as long as Curiousity is here."

"I'll look for a suitable body." GLaDOS turned and walked away, leaving the duo to their excited squeals.

A tear threatened to fall as Chell looked at the lift. Why did she feel so sad to leave? GLaDOS would go back in her body and this sweet Caroline she knew would be gone. It was best to go back outside. Aperture was not the place for her anymore.

"Chell?" GLaDOS tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped. "Are you ready?" Chell shot a hesitant look at the former cores. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she'd miss them this time around. Especially-

"Chell, wait up!" Wheatley ran over, putting himself between her and the lift. "Not even a good-bye?" He frowned. She stared up into his eyes, contemplating her course of action. Her hands grabbed him by the collar, pulling him face-to-face with her. "Hey, m-" His words were cut off by a kiss.

"...Perhaps you'd like to go as well?" GLaDOS rolled her eyes.

"Are you serious?" Wheatley grinned.

"One less moron sounds fantastic." She winked. "Get out of here." Wheatley's rambling continued as Chell pulled him into the lift with her. Her smile really _was _beautiful. "Remember when I said not to come back? Well, I mean it this time. Don't come back." She flashed them a smile, raising her hand to wave. The doors closed, and as they disappeared into the ceiling, GLaDOS could have sworn she heard a 'thank you.' Must have been her imagination.

"Are you ready, gorgeous?" Rick called from the door to the hall. Her body would be ready for another transfer soon. A strange feeling of sadness ran through her.

"Go set everything up. I'll be right there." She shooed him away. He nodded, disappearing behind the doors. GLaDOS' eyess traveled back to her robotic form. The facility had a few minutes before its vital functions needed to be controlled once more. She smiled, placing her hands on her hips. She'd stay Caroline, at least for a little while longer.


End file.
